Professor Malcolm Chalmers

Position: Research Director / Director, UK Defence Policy Studies

Professor Malcolm Chalmers is Research Director and Director (UK Defence Policy) at RUSI. He is a Special Adviser to the UK Parliament's Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, and was a member of the UK Cabinet Office consultative group for the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, and of the UK Defence Secretary's Advisory Forum for the 2010 Defence Green Paper. He was Visiting Professor of Defence and Foreign Policy in the Department of War Studies, Kings College, London, and was an FCO Special Adviser to Foreign Secretaries Jack Straw MP and Margaret Beckett MP.

'The future of the Royal Navy's frigate and destroyer fleet', memorandum published in House of Commons Defence Committee, 'The Future Size and Role of the Royal Navy's Surface Fleet', Sixth Report of the Defence Committee, London, HMSO, 1988.

This Chastened Isle 27 Feb 2015Even with further painful cuts looming for defence, the UK will likely remain a major interventionist power with potent capabilities. (Free access)

Western Operations Against ISIS: Holding Back in Syria 24 Nov 2014Unlike the United States, British military operations in Iraq have not been extended into Syria. This distinction may not make sense at an operational level, but it reflects continuing uncertainty as to the direction of US policy towards the Assad regime.

Still Together, for Now 4 Nov 2014Although Scotland voted against independence, questions remain about the future of the UK and its defence posture

Relocation, Relocation, Relocation 11 Aug 2014A Scottish vote for independence would present a significant challenge to the rest of the UK’s nuclear forces, with implications for the country's nuclear-weapons policy

Towards the UK's Nuclear Century 16 Dec 2013Despite financial, strategic and technical issues surrounding the development of a successor system to Trident, the UK’s commitment to a nuclear deterrent is unchanged (free access)

Parliament's Decision on Syria: Pulling Our Punches 30 Aug 2013The UK Parliament's decision not to intervene militarily in Syria marked an important watershed in UK defence and security policy. The consequences will be examined with interest by allies and potential adversaries alike.

The Squeeze Continues - UK Defence Spending and the 2013 Budget 25 Mar 2013UK defence spending was further squeezed in the 2013 Budget announcement. It is likely to face additional cuts for 2015/16 in the 2015 Spending Review. The defence budget for subsequent years may depend on how the 2015 Spending Review shares the burden of future austerity between expenditure cuts and tax rises.

Small Nuclear Forces: Five Perspectives 1 Dec 2011In an era of smaller weapons stockpiles, what are the policy drivers for the medium-sized nuclear-weapon states - and how might they determine future disarmament?

Iran's Nuclear Ambitions: A Steady Crawl to Breakout Capability 15 Nov 2011The International Atomic Energy Agency's latest report on Iran describes in unprecedented detail a country moving slowly towards a nuclear weapons option, rather than a bomb itself. This lack of a 'smoking gun' removes military response from the international community's toolbox of policy options. But this is no grounds for complacency.

UK Defence Budget: Looking into the Black Hole 27 Sep 2011The Ministry of Defence (MoD) appears to have balanced the £74 billion* ten-year 'funding gap', but key equipment programmes, such as Trident renewal and Joint Strike Fighter, are still a major source of potential instability to defence budget, highlights a new paper from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Can we afford to renew Trident? 30 Jul 2010The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced that funding for the renewal of Britain's nuclear deterrent must come from the Ministry of Defence's core budget. RUSI's Malcolm Chalmers assesses the ramifications of this announcement.

Like for like renewal of Trident will come at expense of conventional forces 28 Jul 2010The UK's current commitment to maintain a nuclear-armed missile submarine on deterrent patrol at all times (Continuous At-Sea Deterrence, or 'CASD'), is driven as much by institutional and political momentum as by strategic necessity, and plans to order a new generation of submarines after 2015 now threatens to be at the expense of further reduction in conventional forces according to a new report from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Prognosis for defence spending after Budget 2010 24 Jun 2010The first budget of the Coalition government could lead to the core defence budget being cut in real terms by up to 15%, with numbers of military personnel being reduced by around 30,000.

A Question of Balance? The Deficit and Defence Priorities 3 Jun 2010The deeper the immediate budget cuts that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has to make, the greater the risk of reduced capability without commensurate financial gains, argues the latest Future Defence Review Working Paper from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

A Question of Balance? The Deficit and Defence Priorities 3 Jun 2010The deeper the immediate budget cuts that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has to make, the greater the risk of reduced capability without commensurate financial gains, argues the latest Future Defence Review Working Paper from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Nuclear Narratives: Reflections on Declaratory Policies 27 May 2010As Foreign Secretary William Hague announces an overhaul of UK nuclear declaratory policy, a new report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) shows that it must fundamentally reconcile declarations of nuclear deterrence and nuclear disarmament.

Walking, not running: New START and the Nuclear Posture Review 16 Apr 2010The achievements of the NPR and the signing of New START are the first steps towards President Obama’s stated goal of a nuclear free world. However limited their successes may be, their announcements signify real progress in nuclear disarmament.

NATO's Tactical Nuclear Dilemma 11 Mar 2010Renewed debate over the stationing of US nuclear weapons in Europe comes at a crucial time for NATO. This paper charts the key political and technical issues in the debate

Double or Quits in Afghanistan? 27 Jul 2009A new policy of ‘Double or Quits’ has recently emerged for Afghanistan. Following a surge in troop levels both the US and UK political leadership hope for a rapid improvement in the security situation, but without this calls for a reassessment of priorities will grow louder. There is, however, the opportunity for a ‘third way’, modelled on the British experience in Basra after 2006, where a reduced footprint provided the opportunity for the success of local Iraqi forces.